Plainly Perfect Pound Cake with Brandied Cranberries

Another keeper from "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle. This cake is a plain pound cake, I added in some dried cranberries boiled and soaked in brandy and orange juice.  A delightful cake, moist, tender, soft and wonderful with the cranberries. 

A rich buttery cake!

Tish Boyle suggested to serve this cake either on its own, or with ice cream or berries and softly whipped cream.

But this is really good on its own, with a cup of warm tea.

I'm sharing this with :
Sweets For A Saturday at Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Bake with Bizzy at Bizzy B. Bakes
Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli n Son
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage


And I'm bringing this to a Cookbook Party, hosted by Louise of Months of Edible Celebrations. Louise is celebrating her Blogoversary by throwing a Cookbook Party, and October being the National Cookbook Month! There's a whole list of food celebrations just for the month of October! For full details, hop over to Months of Edible Celebrations. I'm submitting this cake under the list "Cranberry Month"!

Plainly Perfect Pound Cake
(adapted from "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle)
2 cups (7oz/200gm) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8oz/227gm) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cups (8.8oz/250gm) granulated sugar (I use 180gm)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (omit this)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (I use 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Dust the pan with flour.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine well, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat the mixture at medium-high speed until very light, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally (the mixture will look curdled at this point). Beat in the citrus zest and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the heavy cream in two additions and mixing just until the flour is incorporated. (My addition : Add in the Brandied Cranberries, mixing just until combined). Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the cake pan on a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.
5. Unmold the cake and cool completely, right side up, before slicing.

Kitchen Flavours addition :
Brandied Cranberries
100gm dried cranberries
2 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup orange juice
Mix the dried cranberries, brandy and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (I made this a day ahead, keep covered at room temperature, drain before use).